Chapter 93

I sit up straight against the back of the couch, staring in awe between Orion and Anton as they face off against each other because these two –

Honestly, despite all of this nonsense, I’ve only ever seen them be kind to each other.

What – what the hell is going on here?

“You need to back off, Tony,” Orion growls, advancing towards my handmaid, using his superior height and leverage to loom over him in a very clear physical threat.

“You need to check your shit, ‘Rion,” Anton snaps back, slipping his ankle from his knee and placing his foot flat on the floor and leaning forward in a clear indication that he’s ready to get up if he needs to. “That girl has feelings for you, and I’m not going to watch you treat her like shit just because you’re –“

“I didn’t treat her like shit!” Orion bites back, casting a hand to his side to dismiss his point. “Not once! I – “

“She left here abruptly, feeling like absolute trash, like you didn’t want her here once we figured out that she slept here, with you, alone, in your bed. Whatever happened, last night meant something to Laila and you bustled her out of here like you were ashamed of it, and you kept June, which clearly reads like you want to talk to her now and don’t want Laila to hear –“

Orion snarls and turns away from Anton, lifting his hands to his head and grasping his hair tight in his fingers, frustration all over him. My mouth drops open as I watch Orion both realize that Anton is right and fight against the guilt of it.

I glance at Anton, my wolf perking up at the sight of him perfectly composed on the couch, his eyes on our friend. Because that is…very nice, isn’t it? How clearly he sees the world and comes to Laila’s defense.

I press my lips together, wanting very much to agree aloud with Anton but realizing that Orion…did not ask what I think. And probably does not want to hear it.

“I’m under an incredible amount of pressure, Tony,” Orion growls, his teeth pressed tight together.

“I’m aware of that,” Anton replies, his voice gentler now, though still stern. “But it’s not an excuse to use Laila as an outlet for a bit of fun just to blow off some steam. If you don’t have feelings for that girl, I am not going to let you take her to bed. Not when she has feelings for you – and you know that she does.”

Orion whirls to glare at Tony, his shoulders trembling a bit, and I watch in fascination because…what is happening here?

Is Orion angry because Tony is right – that he was using Laila to blow off steam?

Or…

“That’s not what happened,” Orion growls.

“I don’t really care,” Anton answers, leaning forward and holding Orion’s gaze. “But if anything romantic happens with Laila again? It’s going to be because you have feelings for her. And if you fuck with her emotions, Orion, I’m going to have your throat in my teeth for the offense.”

Orion blinks at Anton in utter surprise and, quite frankly, I do too. I shift in my seat, my spine straightening because…I’ve never seen Anton this bossy and authoritative before.

My wolf kind of ruins the moment by letting out a ridiculous howl and pouncing around eagerly in my soul like a pup. But I do my best to ignore her, focused instead on my ghost boy as he stares down a demigod who outweighs him by about fifty pounds.

Orion snarls but breaks the stare first, turning away and storming to the bar, ostensibly to get more coffee. I watch him for a second before turning my eyes back to Anton, who is already looking at me. To my shock and my wolf’s delight Anton smirks and gives me a confident little wink before laying himself out on the couch, perfectly at ease in the face of Orion’s fairly murderous rage.

My lips part at the sight, a little laughing breath huffing from my mouth even as my wolf howls and yips, turning in circles and chasing her tail.

Because…what? What is…happening? Why…why do I like this so much!?

Say something spicy, my wolf pants, her tongue hanging out of her mouth, piss them off! Make them fight again! Maybe Tony will knock him down! And then he’ll come over and grab us – and he’ll be stern with us too, but in a sexy way – all bossy and nice -

“Oh my god,” I murmur, slumping back against the couch, putting my fingertips on my temples and doing my best to contain my insane wolf. Bossy and nice!? What does that even mean?

“You good?” Anton asks.

I hastily nod my head, my lips tight. “Yup!” I squeak.

He laughs, low and intrigued. “You sure?”

“Can we have a minute?”

Anton and I both go quiet and turn towards the big Alpha behind the bar in the corner of the room, glaring at us all tense and upset.

“A minute?” I ask, dropping my hands from my temples and again sitting straight.

“Yes, a minute,” he says, giving a stern nod. “You and I, Juniper. Alone, please.”

My mouth puckers into a surprised little “o” as I stare at Orion, finally realizing what he means. I turn to Anton on instinct, but he just shrugs at me.

“You want a minute alone with him, Juniper?” Anton asks.

Across the room, Orion growls, not liking that we didn’t immediately obey. That Anton turned to me for instructions on what to do next, not him.

“Um,” I say, staring at Anton for a moment before turning back to Orion. “Sure,” I say, giving a little shrug, curious. And honestly, I have no reason to say no – Orion, he’s behaved poorly this morning, but he’s still my friend and I’m not afraid of him. “If you want a moment alone, that’s fine with me.”

“Cool,” Anton says, slapping his hands against his thighs as he stands up and calmly walks across the room towards Orion’s bedroom. “Call me if you need anything!” He slips into Orion’s bedroom and the door snaps shut behind him.

I spin to look at Orion, knowing that he’s the one who ordered the door shut – not my bodyless ghost.

“Are you…okay?” I whisper.

“I’m fine,” Orion growls, looking down at the bar.

I laugh a little, anxious, not believing a damn word of that. Orion glances at me and sighs deeply, bending a bit to rest his elbows on the bar and again burying his hands in his silky dark hair, frustrated. I sigh and stand, slowly moving over to him.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I say, leaning against the bar too. “They’re not like…going to be mad at you forever. And I don’t even think Laila is mad.”

“It’s fucking hard, June,” Orion mutters, frustrated. “I can’t seem to do anything right and I have no real idea what’s going on.”

My heart immediately goes out to this big boy Alpha who is trying so hard, and who is so confused. And who really was so nice to me last night. Instantly I reach out, putting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a little squeeze.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I whisper. “Everyone knows you’re doing your best, Orion. Anton – he just gets protective. And Laila…” I shrug, even though he’s not looking. “She’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Orion sighs, long and slow, and lowers his hands from his mussed hair to the bar, looking down at them. After a moment, he raises his eyes to me. “Juniper, do you want to go out with me tonight?”

I stare into his pretty brown eyes for a long moment, my hand slipping from his shoulder. “What?”

He exhales as he stands straight, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Tonight. With me. A date.”

I just stare at him, baffled.

He clenches his jaw, a muscle flickering in his cheek.

“But you…” I glance over at the door to his room, even though he and Laila didn’t even leave that way. “You spent the night with…Laila…”

“That doesn’t matter,” he says, voice gruff, and I snap my gaze back to see him slowly shaking his head. “I’m pretty sure by now that it’s you, Juniper. That you’re my mate, my queen. Whatever happened with Laila – and I swear to god, June, it really was nothing – I…I think I need to pursue things with you. And I’m sorry – I know that it’s fast – and that you just broke up with your fiancé yesterday. I’m sorry if it seems sudden – but we need to go out on a date, a serious one. We need to get this started as a couple.”

As stupid as I’m sure it makes me look…all I can do is stare at him.

Because seriously? I’m slated to die tomorrow, and he was all cuddled up with my friend last night, and tonight he wants to go on a date with me?

“Please,” he says, his word barely a breath. And he hangs his head, I think a bit devastated by the pressure that we’re both under – by wanting to do the right thing and finding a barrier at every turn.

“Okay,” I whisper, tucking my hands behind my back, not knowing what else to do. “Um. Okay. Tonight. We’ll go on a date…tonight.”

My wolf goes still with baffled confusion in my chest as I stare up at the Prince, my prophesied mate who…has just asked me out on a date.

I mean. Shouldn’t I be thrilled?